2005 CHEVROLET BLAZER mirror

Loss of Control
Let us review what driving experts say about what
happens when the three control systems — brakes,
steering, and acceleration — do not have enough friction
where the tires meet the road to do what the driver
has asked.
In any emergency, do not give up. Keep trying to steer
and constantly seek an escape route or area of less
danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable
care suited to existing conditions, and by not overdriving
those conditions. But skids are always possible.
The three types of skids correspond to your vehicle’s
three control systems. In the braking skid, your wheels
are not rolling. In the steering or cornering skid, too much
speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip and lose
cornering force. And in the acceleration skid, too much
throttle causes the driving wheels to spin.
A cornering skid is best handled by easing your foot off
the accelerator pedal.If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want
the vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough,
your vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready
for a second skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel, or other material is on the road. For safety, you
will want to slow down and adjust your driving to
these conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration,
or braking, including engine braking by shifting to a
lower gear. Any sudden changes could cause the tires
to slide. You may not realize the surface is slippery
until your vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning
clues — such as enough water, ice, or packed snow
on the road to make a mirrored surface — and
slow down when you have any doubt.
Remember: Any anti-lock brake system (ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid.
4-14

Here are some tips on night driving.
Drive defensively.
Do not drink and drive.
Except vehicles with Automatic Dimming Rearview
Mirror: Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce
the glare from headlamps behind you.
Since you cannot see as well, you may need to
slow down and keep more space between you
and other vehicles.
Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your
headlamps can light up only so much road ahead.
In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you are tired, pull off the road in a safe place
and rest.
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But
as we get older these differences increase. A
50-year-old driver may require at least twice as much
light to see the same thing at night as a 20-year-old.
What you do in the daytime can also affect your
night vision. For example, if you spend the day in bright
sunshine you are wise to wear sunglasses. Your
eyes will have less trouble adjusting to night. But if you
are driving, do not wear sunglasses at night. They
may cut down on glare from headlamps, but they also
make a lot of things invisible.You can be temporarily blinded by approaching
headlamps. It can take a second or two, or even several
seconds, for your eyes to re-adjust to the dark. When
you are faced with severe glare, as from a driver
who does not lower the high beams, or a vehicle with
misaimed headlamps, slow down a little. Avoid
staring directly into the approaching headlamps.
Keep your windshield and all the glass on your vehicle
clean — inside and out. Glare at night is made much
worse by dirt on the glass. Even the inside of the glass
can build up a lm caused by dust. Dirty glass makes
lights dazzle and ash more than clean glass would,
making the pupils of your eyes contract repeatedly.
Remember that your headlamps light up far less of a
roadway when you are in a turn or curve. Keep
your eyes moving; that way, it is easier to pick out dimly
lighted objects. Just as your headlamps should be
checked regularly for proper aim, so should your eyes
be examined regularly. Some drivers suffer from
night blindness — the inability to see in dim light — and
are not even aware of it.
4-31

Freeway Driving
Mile for mile, freeways — also called thruways, parkways,
expressways, turnpikes, or superhighways — are the
safest of all roads. But they have their own special rules.The most important advice on freeway driving is: Keep
up with traffic and keep to the right. Drive at the
same speed most of the other drivers are driving.
Too-fast or too-slow driving breaks a smooth traffic ow.
Treat the left lane on a freeway as a passing lane.
At the entrance, there is usually a ramp that leads to the
freeway. If you have a clear view of the freeway as you
drive along the entrance ramp, you should begin to check
traffic. Try to determine where you expect to blend with
the ow. Try to merge into the gap at close to the
prevailing speed. Switch on your turn signal, check your
mirrors, and glance over your shoulder as often as
necessary. Try to blend smoothly with the traffic ow.
Once you are on the freeway, adjust your speed to the
posted limit or to the prevailing rate if it is slower.
Stay in the right lane unless you want to pass.
Before changing lanes, check your mirrors. Then use
your turn signal.
Just before you leave the lane, glance quickly over your
shoulder to make sure there is not another vehicle in
your blind spot.
4-35

Here are some things you can check before a trip:
Windshield Washer Fluid:Is the reservoir full? Are
all windows clean inside and outside?
Wiper Blades:Are they in good shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids:Have you checked
all levels?
Lamps:Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
Tires:They are vitally important to a safe,
trouble-free trip. Is the tread good enough for
long-distance driving? Are the tires all inated to the
recommended pressure?
Weather Forecasts:What is the weather outlook
along your route? Should you delay your trip a
short time to avoid a major storm system?
Maps:Do you have up-to-date maps?
Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as highway hypnosis?
Or is it just plain falling asleep at the wheel? Call it
highway hypnosis, lack of awareness, or whatever.
There is something about an easy stretch of road with
the same scenery, along with the hum of the tires on the
road, the drone of the engine, and the rush of the
wind against the vehicle that can make you sleepy. Do
not let it happen to you! If it does, your vehicle can
leave the road in less than a second, and you could
crash and be injured.
What can you do about highway hypnosis? First, be
aware that it can happen.
Then here are some tips:
Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a
comfortably cool interior.
Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead and
to the sides. Check your mirrors and your
instruments frequently.
If you get sleepy, pull off the road into a rest,
service, or parking area and take a nap, get some
exercise, or both. For safety, treat drowsiness
on the highway as an emergency.
4-37

Driving with a Trailer
{CAUTION:
If you have a rear-most window open and you
pull a trailer with your vehicle, carbon
monoxide (CO) could come into your vehicle.
You can not see or smell CO. It can cause
unconsciousness or death. SeeEngine
Exhaust on page 2-40. To maximize your safety
when towing a trailer:
Have your exhaust system inspected for
leaks, and make necessary repairs before
starting on your trip.
Keep the rear-most windows closed.
If exhaust does come into your vehicle
through a window in the rear or another
opening, drive with your front, main
heating or cooling system on and with the
fan on any speed. This will bring fresh,
outside air into your vehicle. Do not use
the climate control setting for maximum air
because it only recirculates the air inside
your vehicle. See Climate Control System
in the Index.Towing a trailer requires a certain amount of experience.
Before setting out for the open road, you’ll want to get
to know your rig. Acquaint yourself with the feel of
handling and braking with the added weight of the trailer.
And always keep in mind that the vehicle you are
driving is now a good deal longer and not nearly as
responsive as your vehicle is by itself.
Before you start, check all trailer hitch, parts and
attachments, safety chains, electrical connector, lamps,
tires and mirror adjustment. If the trailer has electric
brakes, start your vehicle and trailer moving and then
apply the trailer brake controller by hand to be sure
the brakes are working. This lets you check your
electrical connection at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally to be sure that the
load is secure, and that the lamps and any trailer
brakes are still working.
4-66

Fuses Usage
RR DEFOG Rear Defogger
TRL PRK Trailer Park Lamps
LT HDLP Left Headlamp
HTDMIR Heated Mirror
RT HDLP Right Headlamp
MIR/LKS Mirrors, Door Locks
ATC Transfer Case (Four-Wheel Drive)
A/C Air Conditioning
FOG LAMP Fog Lamps
TBC Truck Body Computer
RT TURN Right Turn Signal Front
CRNK Clutch Switch, NSBU Switch
LT TURN Left Turn Signal Front
FT PRK Front Parking Lamps
IGN CStarter Solenoid, Fuel Pump,
PRNDL
STOP LAMP Stop Lamps
HORN Horn
HTD/SEAT Heated Seat
RR W/W Rear Window WiperRelays Usage
STRTR Starter
REAR DEFOG Rear Defogger
FUEL PUMP Fuel Pump
HEADLAMP
PWRHeadlamp Power
DRL Daytime Running Lamps
LG Liftglass
A/C Air Conditioning
FOG LAMP Fog Lamps
HORN Horn
5-101

M
Maintenance Schedule
At Each Fuel Fill.........................................6-25
At Least Once a Month................................6-25
At Least Once a Year..................................6-27
At Least Twice a Year..................................6-26
Brake System Inspection..............................6-31
Engine Cooling System Inspection.................6-30
Exhaust System Inspection...........................6-30
Fuel System Inspection................................6-30
How This Section is Organized....................... 6-3
Introduction.................................................. 6-2
Long Trip/Highway Scheduled Maintenance.....6-17
Maintenance Requirements............................. 6-2
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts.........6-34
Part A - Scheduled Maintenance Services......... 6-4
Part B - Owner Checks and Services.............6-25
Part C - Periodic Maintenance Inspections......6-30
Part D - Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants...............................................6-32
Part E - Maintenance Record........................6-35
Selecting the Right Schedule.......................... 6-5
Short Trip/City Scheduled Maintenance............. 6-6
Steering, Suspension and Front Drive Axle
Boot and Seal Inspection..........................6-30
Throttle System Inspection............................6-31Maintenance Schedule (cont.)
Transfer Case and Front Axle
(Four-Wheel Drive) Inspection....................6-31
Using Your................................................... 6-4
Your Vehicle and the Environment................... 6-2
Malfunction Indicator Light................................3-30
Manual Seats................................................... 1-2
Manual Transmission
Fluid..........................................................5-22
Operation...................................................2-28
Map Lamps....................................................3-17
Memory Seat.................................................2-60
Mirrors
Automatic Dimming Rearview........................2-42
Manual Rearview Mirror................................2-42
Outside Automatic Dimming Mirror.................2-44
Outside Convex Mirror.................................2-44
Outside Heated Mirrors................................2-44
Outside Manual Mirror..................................2-43
Outside Power Mirrors..................................2-43
MyGMLink.com................................................ 7-3
N
New Vehicle Break-In......................................2-19
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts............6-34
8

O
Odometer......................................................3-24
Odometer, Trip...............................................3-24
Off-Road Recovery..........................................4-12
Oil
Engine.......................................................5-13
Pressure Gage............................................3-32
Older Children, Restraints................................1-29
Online Owner Center........................................ 7-3
Operating Your All-Wheel-Drive Vehicle Off
Paved Roads..............................................4-15
Other Warning Devices...................................... 3-6
Outlet Adjustment............................................3-21
Outside
Automatic Dimming Mirror.............................2-44
Convex Mirror.............................................2-44
Heated Mirrors............................................2-44
Manual Mirror.............................................2-43
Power Mirrors.............................................2-43
Overhead Console..........................................2-49
Owners, Canadian............................................... ii
P
Park (P)
Shifting Into................................................2-37
Shifting Out of............................................2-39
Parking
Brake........................................................2-36
Over Things That Burn.................................2-40
Parking Your Vehicle.......................................2-39
Part A - Scheduled Maintenance Services............ 6-4
Part B - Owner Checks and Services................6-25
Part C - Periodic Maintenance Inspections..........6-30
Part D - Recommended Fluids and Lubricants....6-32
Part E - Maintenance Record...........................6-35
Passing.........................................................4-12
Passlock
®......................................................2-19
Power
Door Locks.................................................. 2-9
Electrical System.........................................5-97
Lumbar Controls........................................... 1-3
Retained Accessory (RAP)............................2-21
Seat............................................................ 1-3
Steering Fluid.............................................5-36
Windows....................................................2-16
Programmable Automatic Door Locks.................. 2-9
Programming the HomeLink
®Transmitter...........2-46
9